Tile roof construction



June 22, 1937. T. D. CORCORAN TILE ROOF CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 11, 1935 I): ven Tor 2" 071108 1 (brmnm Patented June 22, 1937 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a tile roof construction and moreparticular pertains to a hanger for fastening tile in place on a supporting roof surface; the present invention contemplating im- 5 movements in the type of tile roof construction set forth in United States Letters Patent Number 1,854,660 issued to Emmet G. Martin under date of April 19, 1932, and also United States Letters Patent Number 1,948,510 issued Feb. 2'7, 1934, jointly to myself and Lionel Wolfi.

The type of tile roof construction referred to embraces a continuous water shedding surface with a series of roofing tile laid thereon with adjacent tile in overlapped relation to each other, and includes a hanger afiixed to an elevated portion of the roof and leading downwardly from its point of attachment beneath the roofing tile and which hanger embodies means of connection with a plurality of the roofing tile whereby the latter are suspended from the hanger in a fashion to obviate or at least minimize perforating the water shedding surface of the roof in effecting fastening of the tile thereon.

In the patents above referred to the tile engaging hangers are formed in strips of such length as to underlie a series of the roofing tile arranged in a row leading downwardly on an inclined roof surface with tile engaging members arranged on the hanger at fixed regular intervals throughout the length thereof. This construction necessitates production and handling of the hangers in 1 considerable lengths; the hanger ordinarily being formed so as to be wound on a reel.

An object of the present invention is to provide a construction whereby the hanger strip may be formed of a series of interconnected short sections.

Another object is to provide a construction in the hanger sections whereby they may be readily formed in short lengths that may be assembled in bundles and with the sections so shaped that when assembling a hanger on the roof a series of the sections may be readily interconnected end to end to form a chain thereof leading downwardly from a point of attachment on the roof toward the eves thereof.

, Another object is to provide a hanger of the above character in which the spacing of the points of connection with the individual tiles of a series of longitudinally aligned tiles to be fastened to a hanger may be readily varied so as to obtain a much desired irregularity in the length of exposed area of the assembled tile.

A further object is to provide a sectional tile hanger; whichmay be rapidly assembledon a roof and quickly connected with roofing tile units in assembling the latter on a roof.

A further object is to provide a construction in a sectional hanger of the character described whereby a single hanger may be employed to afford a support for either a series of pan tile or a series of cover tile, or both a series of pan tile and cover tile.

With the foregoing objects in view together with such other objects and advantages as may subsequently appear the invention is carried into effect. as illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a tile hanger section as detached:

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the application of the invention in a tile roof depicting the manner in which the hangers are formed and arranged to afford a connection between a single hanger and both pan and cover tile:

3 is an enlarged detail in section and elevation taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2:

Fig. 4 is a detail in perspective illustrating the application of the invention to a tile roof construction where a single hanger is employed in fastening the pan tile and also a single hanger employed in fastening the cover tile independent of the pan tile hanger:

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modified form of the hanger element or section:

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the manner of application to a tile of the hanger section shown in Fig. 5:

Referring to the drawing more specifically A indicates generally an inclined roof structure here shown as comprising sheathing 1 covered by a water shedding membrane 8, but which roof structure manifestly may be of any suitable construction adapted to afford a support for roofing tile indicated at B; the roof structure A being preferably formed with a continuous water shedding surface on which the tile are supported. The roofing tile B is here shown as embodying rows of pan tile 9 and cover tile l0, arranged on the roof structure A in conventional fashion, that is with spaced rows of pan tile extending'in the direction of the inclination of the roof structure A with the tile arranged end to end and with adjacent tile overlapped; the succeeding tile progressing upwardly from the lowermost tile in a row having their lower end portions overlying the upper ends of the adjacent tile.

The upper portions of each of the pan tile units rests on the roof structure A. The cover tile II! are likewise arranged in rows paralleling i the rows of pan tile with the tile extending lengthwise in a row and with adjacent tile overlapped in the fashion described with reference to the pan tile; the longitudinal margins of the cover tile overlying the longitudinal margins of the pan tile as particularly shown in Fig. 2.

In carrying out the present invention a series of hangers C are provided which are attached at an elevated portion of the roof structure A by suitable anchors E i, such as nails, the hangers C leading downwardly from their point of attachment along the incline of the roof structure beneath the roofing tile and being connected to the several tile units so as to hold the tile on the roof structure in a manner which, where desired, puncturing of the water shedding surface of the roof afforded by the membrane 8 may be obviated. It will be understood that the anchors Il may be positioned beneath flashing such as is formed by overlying layers of the membrane 8, or under the usual flashing provided at the upper marginal portion of inclined roof structures.

The essence of the present invention resides in forming the hangers C in sections 82 here shown as comprising short lengths of wire, which sections are formed at one end with a loop M by returning an end portion of the wire upon. itself and twisting the terminal portion of the wire around the adjacent length thereof. The opposite end of the wire is bent to extend substantially at right angles to the intermediate or shank portion of the section to form a tile engaging member l5, which, in connecting a runner and a tile, is effected by inserting the member 55 through an opening it in the upper end portion of a tile unit and then bending the member 55 to overlie the upper portion of the tile to form hooked or looped engagement with the latter, and then fastening the free end of the member iii in its hooked position as by twisting it into engagement with the shank portion of the section i2 as indicated at I"! in Fig. 3.

In the modified construction shown in Figs. 5 and 6 one end portion of the wire section 82 is bent to overlie the shank portion and a metal clip i8 is bent around the overlying portions of the wire to effect an interconnection therebetween; the loop l4 being formed at the bend of the wire protruding beyond the clip it. A tubular metallic sleeve 59 is strung on the section i2 and is shiftable longitudinally thereon, and which sleeve is engageable with the end portion of the member l5 when the latter is bent to overlie the shank portion of the section 92 as shown in Fig. 6, to hold the member 15 in its tile engaging position.

In assembling the hanger sections and tile on a roof several modes may be employed, one of which is depicted in Fig. 2 and comprises fastening the loops M of a series of sections I2 at spaced intervals cross-wise of the incline of the roof structure A, as by the anchors II; the ad- J'acent sections being spaced such distance as to underlie the rows of cover tile.

After thus fastening a section l2 to the roof structure a second section is connected with the fastened section by placing the loop M of a loose section over the member it of the fastened section, thus linking a pair of sections end to end. In like manner a string or chain of the sections is assembled down the incline of the roof for a suitable distance, usually to a point adjacent the eve of the roof. After thus forming a chain of the linked sections, or during formation thereof, other sections are attached to the members 15 of the previously linked sections by engaging the loops it of the free sections with the member iii of the linked sections to form ties c for connection with the pan tile 9; the ties c extending diagonally the main runner C to bring the members i5 thereon in position for engagement with the pan tile as shown in Fig. 2.

In assembling the tile on the roof, the pan tile are first connected to the lower diagonal ties c by engaging the members 55 of the ties therewith, as before described, and thereafter succeeding pan tile in a row are likewise connected to the ties. After having assembled a suitable number of pan tile in a pair of adjacent rows, cover tile it are then set in place on the pan tile and are connected to the member l5 of the runner C as before described. In this fashion the tile and runners are assembled on a roof. When the tile and hangers are thus assembled both pan and cover tile will be connected to a runner C.

Another mode of assemblage is depicted in Fig. fl in which a runner C is provided for the pan tile and aseparate runner C is provided for the cover tile; the runners being assembled on the roof structure in a chain leading downwardly from an elevated point of fastening of an upper section, in the manner before described. In this instance the runner C underlying the pan tile is arranged slightly to one side of the point of contact of the pan tile on the roof, and. may thus rest on the roof surface, while the runner C extending beneath the cover tile will be spaced from the roof surface.

In manufacturing the sections E2 the latter may be initially formed without bending one end thereof to provide the member 95, in which instance the member i5 is formed at the time of assembling the sections in a hanger on a roof, which operation is advantageous in that it facilitates varying the length of the hanger sections to accommodate individual tile according to requirements, although such varying may be effected even after forming of the connecting members l5 by varying the point of the bend in the shank portion of the section. In this fashion varying of the lengths of exposure of the tile in the rows may be readily effected thus imparting to the finished roof the highly desired irregularity in the arrangement of the tile.

In forming the runner section. [2 the end portion it is dimensioned so that it may be readily threaded through the opening with which roofing tile is ordinarily equipped, and the loops Hi are dimensioned to readily receive the free ends of the members 55, whereby assemblage of the runner and tile on a roof is greatly facilitated.

Manifestly the runner sections I2 may be made in any suitable lengths of the recited construction, and while a number of the sections to be united to form a runner may be of corresponding lengths, their points of interconnection may be variously spaced throughout the length of the runner to thereby effect variation in the spacing of the tile engaging members 55, by taking up more or less of the length of the shanks of the sections. This, with the facility of manufacture, handling and assemblage renders the invention highly advantageous over the types of tile supporting runners of one piece length of the character of the patents aforesaid.

I claim:

1. In a tile fastening runner, a series of sections each of which embodies a looped end portion and an integrally hooked end portion, said hooked end portion being hooked into engagement with the looped end portion of an adjacent section, said hooked end portion constituting a tile engaging member.

2. A tile supporting runner comprising a series of sections arranged in linked interconnection, and a tile engaging member at the interconnection of adjacent sections formed integral with one of the sections.

3. In a tile roof construction, a tile supporting roof structure, roofing tile carried on said structure having openings therein, and a series of wire lengths linked together end to end and extending between the tile and the supporting roof structure; said sections having integral and portions thereof extending through the openings in said tile in looped engagement with the tile.

THOMAS D. CORCORAN. 

